Rhys Ifans is the unnamed villain in the Spider-Man reboot

Breaking, breaking, Spidey has a villain. It's going to be British actor Rhys Ifans, according to a press release sent out by Sony moments ago. What villain will he be playing?

Well, that's what's not exactly clear as of yet, as the studio is keeping that info close to the vest, though I'm not sure what they have to gain by doing that. What, are they going to change what villain he plays before shooting starts? I would think if they've cast it, it's already kind of set in stone. Guess we'll have to wait until the teaser trailer shows us some green scales?

The Lizard has been the popular speculative choice for a while now, though I suppose they could be going a far different direction to catch us off guard. Feel free to do what you do best and speculate. This quote from director Marc Webb might help:

“What sets the Spider-Man villains apart is the complexity of their relationships with Peter Parker. Rhys' incredible ability to embody both warmth and rage makes him the ideal choice for this character."

The SPIDER-MAN reboot so far has been just full of surprises, casting relative unknown Andrew Garfield in the lead, then with Emma Stone playing not the red-headed Mary Jane, but Gwen Stacy. Ifans seems pulled out of nowhere, but here's what the studio has to say on why they picked him:

“We have been very fortunate to attract some of the best actors working today to play the villains in the Spider-Man movies, and it is exciting to see that trend continue with Rhys Ifans. After seeing his performance in our upcoming film Anonymous, we’re in awe of his talent and think he’s the perfect choice to take on this role.”